On October 10, 2004, the actor Christopher Reeve, who became famous for his starring role in four Superman films, dies from heart failure at the age of 52 at a hospital near his home in . Leaving South Africa, he sailed from Durban to Suez on the Nieuw Amsterdam. Christopher Lee filmography - Wikipedia "[73], In this early period, he made an uncredited appearance in Laurence Olivier's film version of Hamlet (1948), as a spear carrier (his later co-star and close friend Peter Cushing played Osric). Back home after the war, he followed the suggestion of his mothers second cousin the Italian ambassador to Britain that he become an actor. [100], Lee and Peter Cushing appeared together in more than a dozen feature films together for Hammer Films, Amicus Productions, and other companies, as well as in Hamlet (1948) and Moulin Rouge (1952), albeit in separate scenes. "[72], Because of his filming schedule in Bangkok, film director Ken Russell was unable to sign Lee to play the Specialist in Tommy (1975). Category:Christopher Lee - Wikimedia Commons "Jim, I don't want to do it, and I don't have to do it." With his eyes ablaze and eyeteeth bared, his aristocratic nostrils flaring, and his cloak clutched tight about him like the wings of a giant bat trapped in midflight, Lee made Dracula his own as no actor had before him, Denis Meikle wrote in his book A History of Horrors: The Rise and Fall of the House of Hammer., Lee once credited three films for bringing me to the fore as an actor, all of them remakes of classic films: A Tale of Two Cities (1958), in which he played the villainous marquis; The Curse of Frankenstein and Horror of Dracula., But Horror of Dracula, titled Dracula in Britain, was the one that made the difference.. Christopher Lee, The Real-Life "Most Interesting Man In - Factinate "[194] He was awarded the Bram Stoker Gold Medal by the Trinity College Philosophical Society, of which Stoker had been president, and a copy of Collected Ghost Stories of MR James by Trinity College's School of English.[195]. And I would say, "Forget it! [74] It was the first film to co-star Lee and Cushing, who ultimately appeared together in over twenty films and became close friends. Doing a scene with him and having him peering down at you, screaming into your face, all you can think of is My God, thats Dracula! . Lee and others who had played Sherlock Holmes discussed the character and the various interpretations of him. A classical scholar in Greek and Latin at Wellington College, Lee worked as a shipping company office boy and messenger in London before serving in the Royal Air Force and spending time as an intelligence officer during World War II. [110], In late November 2009, Lee narrated the Science Fiction Festival in Trieste, Italy. But he remained closely identified with Dracula, a character he reprised in 1966 with Dracula: Prince of Darkness, and in a string of other films, including Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). The actor never retired from acting and he still has one film yet to be released, the fantasy film Angels in Notting Hill, where he plays a godly figure who looks after the universe. He auditioned for a part in the film The Longest Day (1962), but was turned down because he did not "look like a military man." [37], Lee reported to RAF Uxbridge for training and was then posted to the Initial Training Wing at Paignton. [19] He was a "passable" racquets player and fencer and a competent cricketer but did not do well at the other sports played: hockey, football, rugby and boxing. These songs were recorded, but eventually cut since Burton felt that the songs were too theatrical for the film. [7][136] In the late-1950s, Lee was engaged to Countess Henriette Ewa Agnes von Rosen, whom he had met at a nightclub in Stockholm. In his career, he also turned down a role in Airplane!, something he also regretted. (modern), Sir Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93 after being hospitalised for respiratory problems and heart failure, The trailer of the 1958 film The Horror of Dracula starring Sir Christopher Lee, Sir Christopher Lee explains how he almost became an opera singer, Peter Bradshaws appreciation: An actor of muscular intelligence. [175][176][177][178] The Prime Minister David Cameron praised Lee as a "titan of the golden age of cinema. Stories vary as to the reason for this: Lee states he refused to speak the poor dialogue he was given, but screenwriter Jimmy Sangster claims that the script did not contain any lines for the character. He was reintroduced to a new generation in 2001 with a role as the evil wizard Saruman in the Lord of the Rings trilogy and then as Count Dooku in Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. [98] He turned down the role of Dr. Barry Rumack (finally played by Leslie Nielsen) in the disaster spoof Airplane! How Palm Springs ran out Black and Latino families to build a fantasy for rich, white people, Concertgoer lets out a loud full body orgasm while L.A. Phil plays Tchaikovskys 5th, 17 SoCal hiking trails that are blooming with wildflowers (but probably not for long! There were lots of people behind me. The Story Behind TIME's Cover of D.C. Officer Michael Fanone Hammer was an important part of my life, and generally speaking, we all had a lot of fun, he said in a 2001 interview. A fter it emerged Thursday that British character actor Christopher Lee had died, fellow actors and other noted people took to Twitter to mourn the passing of the actor . Actor Christopher Lee dies at 93 | CNN Superman Christopher Reeve dies at age 52 I had to wear a crimson dinner jacket. 1 for 4 weeks, Aging beloved YA author Judy Blumes inevitable foil isnt so bad after all, Review: The entertaining Peter Pan & Wendy charts a familiar course to Neverland, Rihanna has Smurfs on the brain for her next movie: Hope this gives me cool points. [93][72] Lee wanted to break free of his image as Dracula and take on more interesting acting roles. These. [45] He was then attached to No. Watts family murders - Wikipedia The film was directed by Antti Jokinen, and Lee gave a "superbly sinister" performance alongside Hilary Swank and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. The movie actor Christopher Lee passed away at age 93, this age of death has to be considered astounding.What was the cause of death? [136] He was the original voice of Thor in the German dubs of the Danish 1986 animated film Valhalla, and of King Haggard in both the English and German dubs of the 1982 animated adaptation of The Last Unicorn. "[75] A little later, Lee co-starred with Boris Karloff in the film Corridors of Blood (1958). He frequently appeared opposite his friend Peter Cushing in horror films, and late in his career had roles in five Tim Burton films. The same year he starred as Kharis in the Hammer Horror film The Mummy. He was sent to see Josef Somlo for a contract:[71], Initially, I was told [by Somlo] I was too tall to be an actor. [30] He and other British volunteers were kept away from the actual fighting, but they were issued with winter gear and were posted on guard duty a safe distance from the border. Male in Life, Female in Death: The Story of Christopher Lee's Death [134], Lee provided voices for numerous films and video games. [160] They were engaged soon after, and married on 17 March 1961. "What's all this about?!" We'll miss you. I flew out to Spain for one day's work playing the part of a narrator. His younger brother Christopher Lee died on December 30, the filmmaker confirmed on Instagram. His concern over being typecast in horror films led him to Hollywood and roles in Airport 77 and Steven Spielbergs 1941. Lee's Dracula is a rampant sex fiend, using that stare to make buxom ladies everywhere come over a little faint. [94][95] Lee was so keen to get the film made, and the budget was so small, that he gave his services for free. Who worked for the "Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" rounding up war criminals in the war's aftermath. Shaffer had a series of conversations with Hardy, and the two decided that it would be fun to make a horror film centring on "old religion," in sharp contrast to the popular Hammer films of the day. But it worked.. A gentleman and committed advocate for forests deaddeath.com Christopher Lee Death - Obituary, Cause of Death - DeadDeath Christopher Lee Death - Obituary, Funeral, Cause Of Death Saddened to learn of the passing of Chris Lee. Name in native language: Christopher Lee; Date of birth: 27 May 1922 Belgravia Christopher Frank Carandini Lee: Date of death: 7 June 2015 London: Manner of death: natural causes; Cause of death: heart failure; Work period (start) 1948; Work period (end) 2015; Country of . He was a fascinating person. Following his World War II service he retired from the RAF in 1946 with the rank of flight lieutenant. [36] In the winter, his father fell ill with bilateral pneumonia and died on 12 March 1941. They featured, too, in separate instalments of the Star Wars films: Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin in the original film, and Lee decades later as Count Dooku. The last project which united them in person was a documentary, Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994), which they jointly narrated, two months before Cushing's death. [35] When Beecham's moved out of London, he joined the Home Guard. [148][149] After media attention, the song rose to No. In an interview in 2013, Lee spoke about his love of acting. It also, if I may be forgiven for saying so, brought me the blessing of Lucifer, the third and final nail in my coffin. These were not commercially successful: Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973). I had no idea that was what it was when I agreed to the role. Lee went on record to state that he was virtually "blackmailed" by Hammer into starring in the subsequent films; unable or unwilling to pay him his going rate, they would resort to reminding him of how many people he would put out of work if he did not take part:[86], The process went like this: The telephone would ring and my agent would say, "Jimmy Carreras [President of Hammer Films] has been on the phone, they've got another Dracula for you." "The Christopher Lee Filmography: All Theatrical Releases, 19482003". Sir Christopher Lee dies, aged 93 - YouTube Hosting Saturday Night Live in 1978 was a professional turning point. [90] The company made two films from Wheatley's novels, both starring Lee. Lee was born on 27 May 1922 in Belgravia, London,[2] the son of Lieutenant Colonel Geoffrey Trollope Lee (18791941) of the 60th King's Royal Rifle Corps, and his wife, Countess Estelle Marie (ne Carandini di Sarzano; 18891981). "Dracula sinks his teeth into Royal Mail history", "Metal Hammer honour for Sir Cheistopher Lee", "Depp surprises Sir Christopher Lee with film award", "Fangs for the memories as legend Lee honoured", "Sir Christopher Lee releases second heavy metal album", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Christopher_Lee&oldid=1151016440, British Special Operations Executive personnel, Commanders of the Order of the British Empire, Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, People educated at Wellington College, Berkshire, Royal Air Force personnel of World War II, Pages containing London Gazette template with parameter supp set to y, Short description is different from Wikidata, Pages using infobox military person with embed, TCMDb name template using numeric ID from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 21 April 2023, at 11:42. Lee later played Holmes himself in 1962's Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace, and returned to Holmes films with Billy Wilder's British-made The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970), in which he plays Sherlock's smarter brother, Mycroft. Christopher was 55 years old. [76][113] Lee respected Depp as "a fellow survivor",[114] describing him as "inventive and [having] enormous versatility". However, he soon decided that a direct adaptation would not work well, and began to craft a new story, using only the novel's basic outline. [13] One night, he was introduced to Prince Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich, the assassins of Grigori Rasputin, whom Lee was to play many years later. [17] His poor maths skills meant that he was placed eleventh, and thus missed out on being a King's Scholar by one place. (1951) as a Spanish captain. [47] As the North African Campaign progressed, the squadron "leapfrogged" between Egyptian airstrips, from RAF El Daba to Maaten Bagush and on to Mersa Matruh; they lent air support to the ground forces and bombed strategic targets. As a Grammy Award winning drummer, he collaborated with over 14 bands before moving to Santa Barbara in 2005. [26] It was arranged that he should remain in Menton after his sister had returned home, but with Europe on the brink of war, he returned to London instead. Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee CBE CStJ (27 May 1922 7 June 2015) was an English actor and singer. Lee began to feel sick in the days that followed, and tested positive for COVID-19. [94] Shaffer read the David Pinner novel Ritual, in which a devout Christian policeman is called to investigate what appears to be the ritual murder of a young girl in a rural village, and decided that it would serve well as the source material for the project. Lee's wife inherited his wealth. [75] Lee appeared uncredited in the American epic Quo Vadis (1951), which was shot in Rome, playing a chariot driver and was injured when he was thrown from it at one point during the shoot. The following is the filmography of English actor Sir Christopher Lee (27 May 1922 - 7 June 2015).. With a career spanning nearly seven decades, Lee was well known for portraying Count Dracula in a sequence of Hammer Horror films, beginning with Dracula (1958). The man who'd volunteered to fight in the Winter War in Finland at the outset of World War II. [104][105][106] In addition, he performed for The Tolkien Ensemble's album At Dawn in Rivendell in 2003. Lee saw his stepfather for the last time on a bus in London in 1940, by then divorced from Lee's mother, though Lee did not speak to him. [64] Here, he was tasked with helping to track down Nazi war criminals. [1] In a long career which spanned over 60 years, Lee often portrayed villains, and appeared as Count Dracula in seven Hammer Horror films, ultimately playing the role nine times. [159], Lee was introduced to Danish painter and former model Birgit "Gitte" Krncke by a Danish friend in 1960. Occasionally, I sneaked one in. Biography - A Short Wiki He became known for playing Count Dooku in Star Wars and Saruman in Lord of the Rings. He was cast when the director asked him if he could speak Spanish and fence, which he was able to do. At 10, he became a boarder at Summer Fields prep school in Oxford, where he acted in school productions with Patrick Macnee, who later gained fame as the star of the British TV series The Avengers.. [109], In 2007, Lee collaborated with Tim Burton on Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, playing the spirit of Sweeney Todd's victims, called the Gentleman Ghost, alongside Anthony Head, with both singing "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd," its reprises and the Epilogue. And when Id say no hed say, Think of all the people youre putting out of work! Now that was truly disgraceful emotional blackmail, really. [23], His mother separated from Rose, and Lee had to get a job, his sister already working as a secretary for the Church of England Pensions Board. Unrest spread and threatened to turn into mutiny. The family moved to Fulham, living next door to the actor Eric Maturin. Its power lies in the fact that you never expect what eventually happens, because everyone is so nice. He went on to play Bond villain Scaramanga in 1974s The Man with the Golden Gun and turned down a role in Halloween, which he later said was one of biggest career regrets. I have some interests outside of acting I sing and Ive written books, for instance but acting is what keeps me going, its what I do, it gives life purpose., Christopher Lee: an actor of muscular intelligence with a staggering career | Peter Bradshaw, The blossoming career of Christopher Lee: from the archive, 11 March 1972, Merry metal Christmas: Christopher Lee's 2014 festive musical offering, Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning, 2023 Guardian News & Media Limited or its affiliated companies. [123] He said he would have liked to have shown Saruman's corruption by Sauron,[124] but was too old to travel to New Zealand, so the production was adjusted to allow him to participate from London. Here's Who Inherited Christopher Lee's Money After He Died Born in Belgravia, London, in 1922 to a military father and an aristocratic mother, Lees film career started in 1947 with a role in the gothic romance Corridor of Mirrors. Lee died in London of undisclosed causes, according to an official with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London, who spoke on condition of anonymity in keeping with. [72][93], Lee had many television roles. [40] Lee was devastated, and the death of a fellow trainee from his former school, Summer Fields, only made him more despondent. [65] He retired from the RAF in 1946 with the rank of flight lieutenant. Johnson, Tom (2009). 18. as Lee became the oldest person to have a top 20 hit. A $300-million (minimum) gondola to Dodger Stadium? This is a business of faces and names, and those movies gave me a face and a name. Sir Christopher Lee: Screen legend dies aged 93 - BBC News [1] His autopsy report listed that the probable combined effect of cocaine, propoxyphene, and diazepam had caused his death. ), At Willie Nelson 90, country, rock and rap stars pay tribute, but Willie and Trigger steal the show, Review: In Guardians 3, ultra-weird superhero fun doesnt have to be Rocket science, The new Tom Cruise just might be a London office worker with a taste for risk, Review: The natural horror of the biological Clock, and more movies to stream, Jonathan Majors accuser gets full temporary protection order ahead of court date, Review: A deep-cut masterwork, De Humani Corporis Fabrica is already one of 2023s best movies. This film set the standard for most of the Dracula sequels in the sense that half the film's running time was spent on telling the story of Dracula's resurrection and the character's appearances were brief. He injured his left knee during filming, something he still felt many years later. [65] Of his time with the organisation, Lee said: "We were given dossiers of what they'd done and told to find them, interrogate them as much as we could and hand them over to the appropriate authority ". Christopher Reeve, the one-time Hollywood "Superman" turned activist for spinal cord research after a horse-riding accident in 1995, died Oct. 10, 2004. [138] In 2007, he voiced the transcript of The Children of Hrin by J. R. R. Tolkien for the audiobook version of the novel. I had the honour and pleasure to work with him on five films (Sleepy Hollow, Charlie And The Chocolate Factory, Corpse Bride, Alice In Wonderland and Dark Shadows), he said. His other film roles include Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond action film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Count Dooku in . June 11, 2015 10:01 AM EDT. [31][32] In a later interview, Lee stated that he knew how to shoot but not how to ski and that he probably would not be alive if he had been allowed to go to the front line. [142], With his operatic[143] bass voice, Lee sang on The Wicker Man soundtrack, performing Paul Giovanni's composition, "The Tinker of Rye. [162] Lee was the uncle of the British actress Harriet Walter. Shaffer and Lee paid Pinner 15,000 (equivalent to US$225,561 in 2021) for the rights to the novel, and Schaffer set to work on the screenplay. The couple had been married for more than 50 years and had one daughter, Christina. To my generation, he was Dracula and all of them.. [89], Lee appeared as the Comte de Rochefort in Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973). [113] He narrated and sang for the Danish musical group The Tolkien Ensemble's 2003 studio album At Dawn in Rivendell, taking the role of Treebeard, King Thoden and others in the readings or singing of their respective poems or songs. [86], His roles in the films Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1969), and Scars of Dracula (1970) all gave the Count very little to do. [114], In 2010, Lee received the Steiger Award (Germany) and,[115] in February 2011, Lee was awarded the BAFTA Fellowship. [137] He voiced Death in the animated versions of Terry Pratchett's Soul Music[113] and Wyrd Sisters,[113] and reprised the role in the Sky1 live action adaptation The Colour of Magic, taking over from the late Ian Richardson. A selection of independent international reviews is given at, Central Registry of War Criminals and Security Suspects, Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Necessary Evil: Super-Villains of DC Comics, The Lord of the Rings: The Battle for Middle-earth, Symphony of Enchanted Lands II The Dark Secret, The Cold Embrace of Fear A Dark Romantic Symphony, Christopher Lee filmography Awards and nominations, Bram Stoker Award for Lifetime Achievement, Commander of the Venerable Order of Saint John, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, Commander of Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, "Christopher Lee's memorable movie roles: 'I dreamed of being a character actor', "Biography Christopher Lee Official Website", "Christopher Lee honoured by UCD Law Society", "Sir Christopher Lee: 'Crown Prince of Terror' whose work with Hammer Horror led the postwar revival of Gothic fantasy", "Christopher Leen tavannut elokuvapomo: Hnell oli erityinen suhde Suomeen", "Sotakuvien seasta paljastui yllttv lyt: Keskell talvisodan koettelemaa Helsinki seisoo mies, joka saattaa olla nyttelijsuuruus Christopher Lee", "Fangs for the memories: The A-Z of vampires", "Why Christopher Lee's Dracula didn't suck", "The Screening Room's Top 10 British Villains", "The good, the bad and the Christopher Lee", "Sir Christopher Lee interview: 'I'm softer than people think', "Christopher Lee on the making of legends", "Burnt Offerings: The Cult of the Wicker Man 1/4", "The author who inspired The Wicker Man", "Sir Christopher Lee: Vampire, wizard, jedi and heavy metal musician", "All 24 Movies Featuring Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing", "Stuck on you. In an interview in August 2013, Lee said that he was "saddened" to hear his friend Johnny Depp was considering retiring from acting, observing that he himself had no intention of doing that: There are frustrations people who lie to you, people who don't know what they are doing, films that don't turn out the way you had wanted them to so, yes, I do understand [why Depp would consider retiring]. His wife delayed the public announcement until 11 June, informing her family of the death before releasing the news to the press. [158] However, shortly before the wedding, Lee ended the engagement. (1980), a decision he later called "a big mistake. Lee had met J. R. R. Tolkien once, which made him the only person involved in the film trilogy to have done so. [57] While spending some time on leave in Naples, Lee climbed Mount Vesuvius, which erupted three days later. [172][173][174], Following Lee's death, fans, friends, actors, directors and others involved in the film industry publicly gave their personal tributes. Lee had previously appeared with Karloff in 1955 in the "At Night, All Cats are Grey" episode of the British television series Colonel March of Scotland Yard. In brief: Christopher Lee 'most bankable' star. Loomis. [62] After the war ended, Lee was invited to go hunting near Vienna and was then billeted in Prtschach am Wrthersee. [44], After "killing time" at RAF Kasfareet near the Great Bitter Lake in the Suez Canal Zone in 1942, he resumed intelligence work in the city of Ismalia. The medical officer hesitantly diagnosed a failure of his optic nerve, and he was told he would never be allowed to fly again. 8:45 AM. [188], In 2008, Lee in his role as Count Dracula featured on a commemorative UK postage stamp issued by the Royal Mail to mark 50 years since the release of Dracula (1958) by Hammer Films. His 2013 single Jingle Hell entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 22, which made him the oldest living artist ever to enter the charts. 205 Group RAF before being commissioned at the end of January 1943,[46] and attached to No. He was a direct descendent of the Italian aristocrat Marie Carandini and Robert E. Lee . Lee considers this film to be the reason he stopped being typecast: "I've never been typecast since. "[153], On the self-titled debut album by Hollywood Vampires, a supergroup consisting of Johnny Depp, Alice Cooper and Joe Perry, Lee is featured as a narrator in the track "The Last Vampire." Years later, Lee told Carpenter that the biggest regret of his career was not taking the role of Dr.